Contribution to the knowledge of the parasitoid fauna of sawflies (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) mining leaves of forest plants in Hungary

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Despite the importance of studying the native enemy complex of the introduced and invasive leaf miner sawfly species in their native territories, few studies have been done in recent years concerning the species component and the regulating potential of their parasitoid complexes (in both native and invaded area). Heterarthrus vagans and Fenusa dohrnii are only some of the species which are native in Palearctic area, but alien invasive in North America, causing damage on forest plantations. In this short paper we provide our original data to the knowledge of parasitoid fauna associated with seven leaf mining sawflies native in Hungary.

Material and Methods: For a period of four years (2011-2014), several leaf miner species were collected and placed in single mine rearings. From the leafminers, belonging to the Tenthredinidae family, a total of 809 mines made by 9 different species (Heterarthrus wuestneii, Fenusa dohrnii, Heterarthrus vagans, Fenusa pumila, Fenusella nana, Profenusa pygmaea, Metallus pumilus, Parna apicalis, Fenusa ulmi) were collected from 19 locations across Hungary.

Results and Conclusion: A total of 188 specimens of 13 parasitoid species belonging to 3 families (Braconidae - 1; Ichneumonidae - 1 and Eulophidae - 11) were reared out from our samples. Parasitoid adults were obtained from 7 of the 9 species of leaf mining sawfly hosts (Fenusa dohrnii, Fenusa pumila, Fenusa ulmi, Heterarthrus vagans, Metallus pumilus, Parna apicalis, Profenusa pygmaea). From Heterarthrus wuestneii and Fenusella nana no parasitoid adults emerged.The parasitoid species presented in this work are typically associated with leaf mining sawflies. Several new host-parasitoid associations have been described.